>> we're going to talk about the record heat in california. wait until you hear how hot it got and how hot it might have gotten after that. this morning it's about the rain for us. a warm sticky start but we have maryland's most powerful doppler radar and we have a flood watch across the area. no doubt about that with the heavy rain yesterday, one to three inches across the region, now frederick getting heavy rain but they are not alone. this line does weaken but it does break down through southeast virginia, that is just poised to pivot its way through. so we have wet weather for the morning commute to begin. there's that flood watch until 8:00 a.m. may get extended depending on how heavy this band of rain does hold once it swings through the beltway. plans for a wet commute, temperatures near 70. we break out sun and isolated storm this afternoon with our 2-degree guarantee high of 79. lets check the roads with kim brown. >> we do not like the idea of a wet commute because we had such a bad one or difficult one yesterday. right now traffic looks pretty

good, no problems on 795. that looks good the entire stretch between route 140 to the beltway. we are working one accident? middle river, kingston road continues to be closed between eastern boulevard and hawthorne road because of an overnight crash. you can use hawthorne to get around it. as we look at 695 at harford road, you might want to keep your speeds down a little bit but really no problems around the entire 695 stretch. 5:31. transportation and police officials will discuss maryland's new cell phone law. coming up friday many of us will need the new hands-free devices. many drivers already got the message. >> reporter: whether you believe this new law is a blessing. talking and texting on a cell phone is irresponsible and wrong. and i'm delighted, absolutely delighted. >> reporter: or an inconvenience. anyone in the state of maryland who chooses to use their cell phone while driving will need a hands-free device by this

friday. and at local electronics stores there's no shortage of people lining up to comply. >> thank you. >> no problem. >> reporter: here at the best buy in lutherville there's been a run on bluetooth devices. this past weekend in particular managers say they were swamped with people picking up the technology to legally stay connected while driving. >> the more people drive and commute the more people realize distracted driving and they don't want to be a statistic as well. the quality of the technology has also gotten better the last couple of years. >> reporter: the statistics are grim. according to the state of maryland nearly 400 people died on maryland roads in the last five years because of distracted driving. a stat authorities believe can be prevented in part by using hands-free devices. it will be the law come october 1st and the state highway administration will unveil its awareness campaign tuesday, special electronic devices alerting drivers of the law will start appearing this week.

all in an effort to change the culture and the state believes save lives. in baltimore, brian kuebler, abc2 news. >> talking on a cell phone while driving is a secondary offense you can't be pulled over just because you're on the phone. however, if you are found guilty of use not using a hands-free device you could spend some prison time and hundreds of dollars in fines. two people accused of killing a johns hopkins university researcher. 23-year-old steven picaran was stabbed to death in july. 37-year-old john wagner and 24-year-old lavelva merritt, both of baltimore will stand trial on january 26th. baltimore county police are trying to determine who stabbed a man at security mall. around 11:00 yesterday morning police found a man suffering from a stab wound to the back. witnesses say the victim is a student at the north america trade school at the mall.

police are using surveillance cameras now from inside the mall to learn more about the attack. the victim was taken to the hospital. we're trying to update his condition. news time 5:34. southwest passengers out of bwi marshall fear airline prices will get higher and higher when the low-cost carriers merge. we're talking about southwest and airtran. the $1.4 billion deal was announced yesterday and right now two airlines serve 70% of passengers flying in and out of bwi marshall. the deal will move southwest into 37 new cities including atlanta. the nation's largest airport. one big change, airtran charges $20 for the first checked bag. southwest says it will drop that fee. but overall passengers fear their wallets will take a hit. >> my first thought when i heard they were going to merge. i'm concerned about rates. >> the deal will not be final until 2012. let's look for the fall getaway that won't break the

bank. sands witched between -- sandwiched between summer vacations and holiday rush. karen kafa has details. >> reporter: more options, fewer crowds. airfares and hotel rates tend to fall in the autumn months, a slow season between the summer boom and holiday rush. and this fall easy to get to destinations with frequent flights top the list. >> younger couples are going to the u.s. virgin islands. it's very easy to get there. plus you don't need a passport. then for the quick weekend getaways we've seen napa popular as well as las vegas. they are easy to get to as well as they are a ton of fun. >> reporter: no matter the destination there's a common theme among travelers right now. making their dollars go the distance. so if you're one of the many not looking to spend a lot the fall often means more flexible opportunities to use rewards points and bonuses. >> look to cash in your points. we've been savoring them up for

a rainy day. maybe thinks the rainy day. look to see how many points you have and what are the options. >> reporter: when checking airfares don't forget to factor in extra fees for baggage and seat selection. that can make a difference between deal or no deal. >> you just went on-line and found what? >> a web site called airfarewatchdog.com. they have good deals it has to be where you want to go but they have one round trip ticket, for $100. >> where are you going. >> nowhere. i'm not leaving you. >> good. one city wants to put restrictions on toys and happy meals. >> we'll remove our toys when cracker jack removes its toys. >> we have a war on this? >> what a free gift will require restaurants to do.

>> people in southern california are sweating it out. the problems that scorching temperatures are causing. good morning. you'll find heavy volume of passengers on the 19, 7 and 5, 10 and 30 with a diversion at pratt and light. number 5 diverted at egar and central. and the 35 with a diversion at pratt and paca for construction. light rail and metro subway and marc all on schedule. for the mta transit team, i'm mark jones. bob ehrlich pretends to be for the working guy... but he's not on our side. i thought i knew bob ehrlich, but then i found out... he raised property taxes on every maryland family... and business. he increased college tuition... by 40%. 40%. and i thought i knew bob ehrlich. he was against raising the minimum wage. made $2.5 million... working for a lobbying firm. $2.5 million? he's not really on my side. with this tough economy, we really need a governor on our side.

four years ago, bob ehrlich got fired as governor of maryland. for good reason. first, he protected tax loopholes for giant cable cable companies. then, he let utilities jack up our rates 72%. and for the last four years, he worked as a hired gun for big corporations, even a bank that took billions from a taxpayer funded bailout. ehrlich sides with corporate executives again and again and again tell bob ehrlich big banks and billionares don't need help. middle class marylanders do.

strong storms tore blame for dumping several inches of rain in north carolina. the wet weather makes driving difficult, even flooding roads and stranding drivers in the wilmington area. the worst isn't over in the carolinas. more rain is expected today. extreme weather patterns continue, record heat back in southern california and we've got ourselves not quite record rainfall. yesterday was the anniversary of hurricane gloria. the record rain for the date was five inches. we only got one. but up to three inches in some spots yesterday. heavy rain this morning, now

west of town. frederick getting hit hard and coming south of dc there's another band of rain that is going to try to swing through. westminster, this is going to clip you with heavy rain probably in the next, let's say 20 minutes. we've got ourselves this line of rain extending to the south of baltimore. so pushing through anne arundel county and southern maryland. wet this morning, temperatures near 70. we go to 79 this afternoon. with partly sunny skies and a chance of a scattered thunderstorm redeveloping. let's go back to the roads with kim. >> we're actually still looking good on the roadways, no major incidents on any of the major highways so far this morning. checking our drive times on 95, it will be three minutes on 95 southbound from the beltway approaching the 895 split. five minutes from there as you head to the fort mchenry toll plaza. key bridge looking good in the outer loop lanes. nine minutes towards i-97. still working be a -- an accident in middle river, kingston road, closed between eastern boulevard and hawthorne road as police continue their investigation.

we also have reports of a vehicle fire in baltimore at mount royal terrace and druid park lake drive. in western howard county, marriottsville road, reports of a broken utility pole with wires hanging down. that is old frederick road and marriottsville road. expect possible lane closures. linda so is in the studio with the latest details on one of today's top stories. >> pulled over for speeding but was arrested for something much more serious. i'm linda so. why the case of the man who videotaped the cop is making headlines. >> and airline merger is shaking up the industry. i'm sherrie johnson. what does it mean for you?

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building electric motors. i'm barbara mikulski. i approve this message so you'll know i'm fighting for you. 5:45. this wasn't exactly taping your 3-year-old's birthday bash. this was a record , of a traffic stop in harford county. linda so has more. >> reporter: that motorcyclist ended up being arrested and charged -- [no audio] >> get off the motorcycle. state police. >> he videotaped the trooper as he gave him a ticket. then posted it on youtube. that prompted state police to charge graper with three felony wiretapping counts.

the state's attorney planned to take him to trial but a circuit court judge dropped the charges, essentially dismissing the case. >> the judge held that the state police, that state police or any other police officer have no reasonable expectation of privacy in their public on the job communications. >> reporter: the state's attorney has the option to appeal. meanwhile, a spokesman for the state police says if a trooper encounters a video camera in the future they will allow the recording to continue. in the studio, linda so, abc2 news. 5:46. a suspected gang leader is scheduled to be sentenced today. timothy rawlings jr. found guilty of ordering the killing of a fellow gang member because of his suspicions about the victim's sexual orientation. authorities believe that rawlings, and 18-year-old steven parrish would make the gang look weak. and two other gang members allegedly lured parrish into a

wooded area in randallstown and killed him in 2008. the johns hopkins doctor shot in the stomach a week and a half ago is out of the hospital this morning. a local publication reports that dr. david cohen was released last night. 50-year-old paul hardis shot him after telling him about his mother's diagnosis. he shot his mother before taking his own life. no word on when the doctor will return to work. building inspectors are trying to determine what caused a two-story building to collapse in west baltimore. it happened yesterday afternoon near druid hill avenue. and laurens street. the fire rescue crews received initial reports a woman was near the building when it collapsed but after going through all the debris, bricks, wood and using thermal imaging they found no evidence that anyone was inside or injured. 5:48 now. thieves and fares, what you look for when getting out of

town. many of you are wondering if the merger means more money for you. sherrie johnson has more. >> reporter: good morning. a merger between two major airline carriers known for deep discounts has some passengers a little concerned about increased fares. southwest airlines plans to buy airtran for a reported $1.4 billion. bwi marshall is the airline's largest east coast hub. the two carriers serve 70% of the passengers flying in and out of bwi marshall. the deal will move southwest into 37 new cities and with the competition of airtran gone some passengers worry that the fares will eventually go up. >> local travelers in this region will gain further access to the the southwest system. the airline indicates it plans to continue its growth across the nation. >> i thought it was a good idea at first. now i'm worried about the competition. this might drive up the prices. >> reporter: the deal will not be final until 2012. reporting live from bwi

marshall. sherrie johnson, abc2 news. 5:49. you saw sherrie johnson out there taking her fashion advice. the rain jacket. you'll need an umbrella today. we have wet weather now but a muggy one, 72 degrees. and the trifecta of 72 crossing the delmarva from easton to ocean city. 73 towards the south and pax river, 60s to the west. that is where the boundary is. this is the front associated with that storm bringing heavy rain now to frederick and just on the west side of westminster, towards taneytown and union bridge. rain does extend across baltimore. another band to the south in anne arundel county and there's more trying to surge up in our direction. look at this, we've got ourselves some rain now trying to follow that continued line along that frontal boundary. it's all wrapping around this area of low pressure that will continue to slide its way in through ohio and western pennsylvania. wrapping behind it there's dry air, there's that line of dry

air that should try to swing through here by lunchtime and then we just have isolated showers left into the afternoon. this all wrapping around a large storm pattern here that will keep us in a very unsettled environment for the next couple of days. in fact another wave of low pressure rides up the coast by thursday. so we stay rainy here across the east coast. in fact that round of rain could be even heavier. here's our forecast model showing us the rain that swings through this morning. tries to pivot east of the area by this afternoon. that is why we keep most of the area in the flood watch at least for the early morning hours. we get dry air and the front stalled south of ocean city tomorrow, builds back to the north. after a start with sun we willed in the -- build in the chance of rain by tomorrow night and on in through thursday. plan for a wet day and maybe more flooding. today our 2-degree guarantee the high, 79 degrees. the rain gives way to a partly sunny sky and isolated afternoon thunderstorm but we should clear out tonight. we drop back down into the 50s. for tomorrow we expect temperature to make it back to 72 but the clouds come back late in the day after the

early-morning sun. we are back with temperature in the 70s but thursday heavy rain, then we dry out friday. 72. and highs only in the mid to upper 60s over the weekend with lows down in the 40s so it will be a little cool for those going to hunt valley for race for the cure. 5:51. let's check the roads with kim. >> for everyone traveling through anne arundel county this morning you're not going to find any problems on ritchie highway or on route 50 across the bay bridge heading to the capitol beltway. traffic looks good. drive times, on the 895 split, six minutes from 95 as you approach 295. 95 southbound looking good from the beltway to route 32 in howard county. on the outer loop of the beltway only six minutes from i-70 to 95. one crash in middle river, kingston road continues to be closed between eastern boulevard and hawthorne road. we have a vehicle fire in baltimore at mount royal terrace and druid park lake drive. this is 97 at route 100, traffic moves nicely both northbound and southbound.

and route 100, no problems east-to-west. stay with us, more "good morning maryland" coming up.

i'm frank kratovil and i approve this message. the real andy harris. buried in his website - a promise to replace the tax code with a 23% sales tax and eliminate the mortgage interest deduction. a bush tax panel said families would pay $6,000 more a year. a reagan tax advisor calls it a very dumb idea. but that's not his only bad idea. harris was the only senator to vote against expanding the child care tax credit and against the state's cancer treatment program. andy harris' extreme ideas will cost us.

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fall heat wave in california. and california officials say california has its highest demand ever for electricity. it reached 113 in l.a. yesterday. an all-time high. school officials are cancelling all outdoor activities and cooling centers are open. thousands of customers lost power, utility officials are calling for conservation. white house chief of staff rahm emanuel may be leaving the white house. sources close to the white house say that his decision on whether to quit his job and run for chicago mayor could come as soon as friday. rahm emanuel long expressed interest in running for chicago mayor since richard daly, the incumbent is not running again. the mayoral race takes place next year. the happy meal rule book. ready for this? a toy with a happy meal may depend on how healthy the food is. the san francisco supervisor eric marr introduced an ordinance that bans toy giveways in kids' meals that exceed more than 600 calories. the ordinance would not only restrict calories but also

require more fruit and vegetables per meal. >> obesity is an epidemic and addressing it with a modest measure like this makes a lot of sense because there's nothing more important than the health of our children >> meals that are in compliance with the new nutritional guidelines would be allowed to include popular promotional toys, discusses on the issue continue next month. 5:56. we're thinking pink all week long. >> this morning we have tips for you on how you can lower your risk of breast cancer. >> plus, football and lingerie. the two collide this weekend. we'll tell you where. >> nice hands.

bob ehrlich's real record on energy. lobbyists helped write utility regulations. we got stuck with a 72% rate hike. but martin o'malley got tough on bge, forcing them to pay back $2 billion to consumers. and what's bob ehrlich been doing the past four years? he got paid $2.5 million at a lobbying firm, a firm representing special interests and casinos right here in maryland. that's bob ehrlich-- a 72% increase for us and $2.5 million from special interests for himself. nice work, bob. i always feed in the fall. but, it's the best time. feed your lawn in the fall.

the fall feeding makes all the difference in the world. what the fall feeding does is build the roots.. that's when the roots sorta want nutrition. i give my lawn scotts winterguard. it's like a root building machine. it builds your lawn from the roots up. next year you get this! the stronger the roots, the stronger the lawn. all year long. the best time to feed is when it will do the most good. there's no substitute for the fall feeding, trust me. it is the best thing you can do for your lawn. i use scotts winterguard. >> this was a real traffic stop. all taped and the man behind the cameras in big trouble. what happened? >> we're going to take you to druid hill to find out why a building gave way and just fell

down. >> and it used to be airtran against southwest to get your business. now the two are married in the business so what does this mean to us? good morning, maryland, i'm jamie costello. >> i'm megan pringle. thank you for joining us on this tuesday morning. a little wet out there. >> let's find out with meteorologist justin berk with the weather. >> good morning. we're taking a look at maryland's most powerful doppler radar. which is getting very active in some parts this morning but we're going to keep looking at it. we have pore rain, after all the rain we had yesterday and even the threat of severe weather that never really played out with the tornado warnings, we've got the chance of an isolated thunderstorm mixed in with some clearing this afternoon but more heavy rain and flooding likely to return on thursday. this morning, this is maryland's most powerful doppler radar. west side of westminster, because westminster proper is dry, you head up 140 towards taneytown, pouring, pouring in thurmont. that continues as we show you the wide view. there's the knot of heavy rain through northern frederick county now and just clipping the west side of